November 11, 2013



Sister Dunn and Sister Sparhawk (at the Mesa Temple by Mary and Joseph)



This week was much better than last week. Even though we had a temple trip and lots of meetings that took away from our proselyting time we got a lot done.

 

We had a really cool experience on Wednesday. We were driving to go to an appointment but we had 15 minutes before we needed to be there. While driving to the area where the appointment was I got a very small prompting to go to this town home complex and try and contact a YSA. I decided it was something that I should act on, asked Sister Sparhawk if she wants to go there, she agreed and we went there. This YSA ended up not being home but there was this woman sitting by herself and she looked so sad and lonely. I got an even smaller prompting to go and talk with her. Sister Sparhawk and I looked at each other and went over to talk with her. Her name is Tessa and she had just lost her job. She was smoking, trying to drown out her sorrows. As we were talking we eventually got to the point where it felt right to talk about the gospel. We taught her about Jesus Christ and testified of the Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon. We invited her to learn more and she accepted! She lives in the Assistant's area and we told them about her and hope that miracles happen for her. Running into her and following the promptings of the Spirit was such a miracle. This testifies to me of the amazing things that happen when I follow the small promptings of the Spirit. I know I'm not perfect at it but the more I do it the better I'll become. I'm learning to not expect perfection, only progression. I have faith that the Atonement will help me as I work to overcome this weakness and turn it into one of my strengths.

 

We have a progressing investigator! Yay! I am so happy!  Sister Clemons and Sister Robbins were going to teach him but they thought he would do better in a YSA ward so now we're teaching him. He's been taking the lessons for over a year and really wants to be baptized. But we're worried that he isn't serious about being a member and thinks that baptism is a one time thing and that he doesn't have to do anything afterward. We're also concerned that because he's had so many spiritual experiences that have told him to be baptized that he's just doing it on blind faith instead of having the knowledge of why we need to be baptized and the significance of it. We're making sure he understands and we are teaching him very slowly. He also needs to start reading and praying everyday so we make sure he had something to read and we text him everyday. We set a soft baptism date of December 21 and told him that he needed to work to be ready for this day. I think that made baptism very real and is going to get him to make necessary changes in his life.

 

This week was just better. I did an "attitude adjustment" and reevaluated myself and realized that I do have a lot to learn but I shouldn't expect perfection. I'm expecting too much of myself and as a result I'm not doing to best job I can. I rededicated myself to work on small things that will make a big difference and to always laugh. 

 

I can't believe transfers are next week! Transfers are hard but I will do whatever is asked of me and I will do it with a smile and the world's most positive attitude!

It is so crazy how fast time flies! I can't believe that I've been out for almost 4 months! I'm beginning to understand what it means to lose myself in the work and when I do time just flies by! It's really crazy! I'm so grateful to be here with so many amazing tools to do the Lord's work. I feel so blessed to be on Facebook and to have an iPad to help. The Mesa Mission is the 7th mission in the world to receive iPads! How cool is that! It's really neat. 

 

Life is really good here. The weather doesn't go above 95 and all the snow birds have arrived! It's super fun!

Love, Sister Dunn